Rot || ONC2024

──●Nineteen●──

   Flipped through the folder, I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my mouth.

   Attached to a yellowed sheet of paper was a picture. In the picture was the same orange haired female I was having visions about.

   I had finally found the person.

   "This is the person."

   Sera and Koda bowed their heads in respect.

    "Were you related to Camille?" Sera questioned.

    I nodded quickly. This could get me even more answers.

    "She was a brave solider, Mara. She was firm with the newbies, yet kind hearted. She never played around when it came to their safety. She had told me she had rather herself get killed in battle if it meant protecting our camp, and that's what happened."

    "The Walkers got her," I whispered.

    Sera nodded. "They gave us an option, sacrifice her or our camp gets it. She was quickly climbing the ranks, she was set to become a Sergeant, and they seemed to take note of her ability and ruthlessness on the battlefield. She went with the Walkers without question, Mara. We upheld our end of the deal, but they never held theirs. They didn't give us proper time to mourn her. We were attacked the next day, right as the sun set." She sighed. "And now we're here. This next attack on the Walkers will be our biggest one yet. We're doing it in honor of Camille."

   "They won't be stealing anymore of our family," Koda whispered.

    Sera nodded.

    "That's actually horrible." I felt an immense amount of guilt for my kind. We really were monsters.

    "It's the past now, we can only vow to make the future brighter." Sera gestured for Koda to follow her. "Koda and I will give you some alone time Mara. Just know Camille is missed dearly here. I can't imagine the pain your family holds."

    The door was gently shut, leaving the file and I alone.  

    "Holy shit," I muttered to myself, laying all the papers across the desk. This information shouldn't have hurt me as much as it did. We kill people without remorse all the time, that part never fazed me. The fact that we didn't keep our word hurt me. More and more, I was realizing that these humans weren't the monsters that needed to be eradicated. They cared about the Earth, despite what we were told. They feasted off of Her, protected Her. 

    My kind took and took and took, having no regard for anything but ourselves. We hunted to support a hierarchy. For the Council to feed us rotten meat and to throw away the leftover kills. We were the ones who didn't care. We were the monsters.

    I grabbed Camille's information and picture and began to study it. In the picture, Camille wore the Hunter uniform that I had grown used to. The orange of her hair seemed to match the colour of my ends. Her roots, which were grown out slightly, were the same shade of black as my hair.

    "Hold on."

    Studying the picture more deeply now, I noticed other similarities. We both shared the same sharp jawline and gentle, hooded eyes. Even our noses were the same shape, small and curved slightly upwards.

   "Wait." A realization dawned on me as I rapidly began to scan her information.

    CPL Camille Bartlett. Born winter 206. Died autumn 225, aged 19. 

    "This is freaky," I whispered. 225 was 3 years ago, which would have made Camille 22 if she were still alive today.

   I was 22

   I never knew my birth year. Upon waking up in the infirmary, I was debriefed. My name was Mara, I had gotten into an accident with humans and nearly died. I was 19, born in winter. I was one of the best hunters that the Walkers had.

   "Wait a damn minute here. Wait."

    Camille died autumn 225, I woke up in autumn. Camille was born winter, I was told I was born in winter. Camille and I shared the same facial features, even the same age.

    My knees threatened to buckle as all the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. Alastor didn't let me look at the folders because I didn't have a file. He had Camille's file. The turning liquid, the secrecy, and now the answers.

    "Holy mother of gods." 

    I wasn't just dreaming about anyone, I was dreaming about myself. A version of myself before I was turned.

    I was Camille.